


By his side

by blacksmiley



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Blackwatch, Gen, some mchanzo involved through speaking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-01
Updated: 2017-10-01
Packaged: 2019-01-07 20:09:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12239805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blacksmiley/pseuds/blacksmiley
Summary: Since not everything can be foreseen, Jesse and Reyes find themselves trapped inside a generator room during an unexpected blizzard, that made it impossible for their carrier ship to come and pick them up after a mission.





	By his side

Jesse learnt the hard way that Blackwatch missions were far from the safe concept or people friendly sort of operations. Unlike Overwatch teams, they were always heading for the dirty stuff and never get praised for it, because who would cherish blood spillers. But he wasn't much affected by it, since his years in Deadlock were not much different. 

 

However, what made the missions differ was the overall purpose, aftermath, since no jail threat awaited, and least to mention, the environments. While Deadlock acted across the United States, Blackwatch was all around the world, from the hot tropics, to the chilly tundra. Of course, he wasn't experiencing the joy of travel to see all the new places, since various teams took the missions, but whenever he was on field it was both thrilling and scary, not twice being the same. 

 

The abandoned generator rooms were far from the friendliest places he had visited so far. Mostly cold, since they were situated in the northern part of Russia, and also filled with dry smell of oil and other substances that leaked in time. 

 

"The blizzard outside makes it hard even for our pick up team. We need to stay in here, safe, until morning most probably, when the heavy snow and wind advertisement goes off." Reyes muttered low in his beard, and by the tone obviously not pleased with the situation. The team split during the mission and he was now trapped only with McCree, while the rest had a better luck to get stuck in the more open space of a factory, where they could actually fix a fire. The generator room was too risky for that.

 

Jesse was getting missions on field for a while by now, but never without the commander by his side. He tried talking him out of this, he could handle the situation with others, but according to Reyes, he was still too reckless, too much infused with the wild Deadlock tactics, which didn't fit his at all. He always saw potential in the young man, but he still required lots of polish and training. 

 

"Well, guess I can't light myself a smoke, right?" He glanced around, touching the cigar through the fabric of his pocket. Smoking was a stress relief and they both knew it, but while Reyes was usually tolerant with it, now Jesse knew it wouldn't be the case.

 

"Unless you want to set some fireworks." He shrugged and let himself slid down the closest wall with a heavy thud, as he hit the metal floor. 

 

"Thought so as well.." The young man sighed and started pacing around. Their only light source was a battery based lantern. They had two of them, but surely they would use them in turns, so the luxury of a brighter light within the chamber was excluded. Defeated by the awful smell and unwelcoming darkness of the room, McCree returned to his partner and took a seat beside him, wrapping his heavy wool serape tighter around himself.

 

Reyes busied himself with the phone for a while, but didn't take long until he placed it back in the pocket. Saving the battery was mandatory given the situation. He rested the back of his head against the wall and tilted it the other's direction. Jesse was twisting the lighter between his fingers, disrupting the silence once in a while when he open and closed its cover. 

 

"Nervous?"

 

"Damn freezing." Jesse mumbled low, making the other shift at his side with a sigh. 

 

"We'll have a hot drink on the plane when they pick us up." He bumped his shoulder into McCree's, the corner of his lips twisting in a small smile, but the other didn't react, keeping his chin dipped low in his chest, partly buried in the serape. Reyes pulled the hood tighter around his head, pushing his hands deep in his hoodie's pockets, while his knees were up, as close to the chest as the armor pieces could allow. 

 

They sat in silence for a while, only the shaking breaths and the metal sound of their armors against wall disrupting the atmosphere. It was Jesse that rose back on his feet first, pacing around, looking outside through the small window the heavy metal door had. 

 

"Shit.. we won't get outta here alive. Outside is just as bad, we are colder than the dead and soon we will starve too." He frowned, still peeking through the window. 

 

"You're dramatizing."

 

"Oh yeah? Ever been through this before? Because to me this snow still stands within the fingers of one hand, if I were to count how many times I ever saw it." He turned his gaze at the other, throwing him an angry look. Gabriel's raised eyebrows lowered with his shoulders, looking defeated. 

 

"C'me here, kid." He opened an arm to his side. 

 

"Stop callin' me that. I ain't your kid! I am tired of you babysittin' me, actin' all protective and shit. I can handle missions too as well as the rest!"

 

"Stop wasting your energy and come here already."

 

"No."

 

Reyes finally lifted back his eyes to meet Jesse's. His look was piercing and made the silence even more deafening, while the cold seemed to intensify as well under his stare, now going right through the young man's bones. McCree looked to his side for a bit, then did as he was asked, taking back his seat. The commander's arm fell over his shoulders, his hand gripping tightly onto Jesse's clothed arm, pulling him closer in an embrace. 

 

"Rule number one. When you are in a deep cold shit like this one, you must preserve your energy and body heat, so stay close to me and stop talking crap."

 

McCree kept shifting for a while, not sure how comfortable he should feel at the thought of his commander keeping him as close as he was. He couldn't complain much, since the warmth of the embrace was soothing for his body and mind, calming his racing troublesome thoughts for a bit, but the overall situation was still putting him in an uncomfortable position for more than a point of view.

 

It wasn't long until Reyes eventually snapped at him for being so agitated.

 

"You're worse than a dog trying to find his sleeping spot. Will you stop it already?" 

 

"Sorry, boss.. I just.. Feels weird."

 

"What? Being finally warmer?"

 

"Nah, not that. It's just. Ya know.. Us. I mean, we're doin' it for a cause and all, but I still feel uncomfortable."

 

"Oh.." Reyes finally got his point. "Don't think of it that way, kid. Jesus."

 

"Yeah, thanks, I feel relieved." Jesse let out a shaking laugh, his breath visible in the cold air.

 

There was silence between them for a while again, about which Jesse couldn't tell if it was a matter of few minutes or more, but his commander seemed keen on the warm up embrace since he didn't loosen it even the tinniest bit. Of course, he was conscious about the reason of the action and about their overall position regarding one another in matter of ranks and friendship, but he couldn't help ignoring his guts while being close to another man and he was afraid that the cold might twist his mind, making him end up saying something that'd embarrass him for life.

 

"So.. Care to tell me what's about you and Hanamura?" Gabriel broke the silence, making the cowboy jolt a bit at the sound of the name, pulling him from his thoughts once again.

 

"What about it?"

 

"Well.. I don't know, but last time I sent Team7 to deal with the issues there, you seemed quite mad about it." He shrugged casually, head tilting to the side, his sharp cheekbone pressing now against Jesse's hat.

 

The young man moved uncomfortably, not sure if his superior was only referring to the matter as in mission related, or something more.

 

"Well, I.. uh.."

 

"Found yourself a geisha around there?" Reyes pressed on and Jesse could feel a grin playing on his lips as he spoke.

 

"Yeah, well.."

 

"A really well informed one. Aren't you putting her into trouble?" He finally backed off a bit and they exchanged glances. McCree was thankful that the cold was making his nose and cheeks turn red, because despite the chill he was feeling, his face was burning with a blush.

 

"Ah.. Well, I suppose not? Why the sudden question?"

 

"I was just curious of your sources. As your superior I am allowed to know. And if you're not telling me willingly, I will consider putting a mic up your ass." 

 

There was a short moment of silence, in which they stared at each other with serious expressions, then both burst into laugh.

 

"But I'm serious, Jesse. Who's your source?"

 

McCree gulped a little, then lowered his gaze.

 

"Not a geisha surely, but... Ehm.. Ya know.. It's a guy."

 

"A guy..."

 

"Yeah.."

 

"Mmm?"

 

"It's Hanzo Shimada, damn it!" He bursted loudly, almost sure that his face was now smoking under the cold air.

 

"Oh.. Hoho.. BOY! I underestimated you!" Reyes shook him all of a sudden.

 

"I thought you'd be mad."

 

"I thought you'd lie to me. I am so proud of you."

 

"Wait, what?! You knew?!" Their eyes met again.

 

" 'Course I did. I know everything, kid." He poked a finger at Jesse's chest, grinning. 

 

"You were testing me.."

 

"Maybe." He shrugged, looking pleased with himself as he relaxed back against the wall, while the young man crowded back at his side, mumbling something beneath his breath. 

 

McCree couldn't recall the last moment he was awake that night, but he knew they spent, by his judgement, few hours during which they shared memories, from old missions in Gabriel's case, and from Deadlock times in his. 

 

When the morning came, it wasn't the light breaching through the window of the door that woke them up, but the continous buzz of their comms and Reyes's vibrating phone, who was right beneath Jesse's head, in an inside pocket of the other's hoodie, behind the chest armor. The young man pushed himself away, half embarased that he had fallen asleep over his superior, shaking the other awake. 

 

"Mmm. What? Shit.." Gabriel muttered under his breath, realizing what was going on, tapping the comm right after. "Got any news from the rest? I am here, still with McCree, at yesterday's given location."

 

Jesse couldn't understand exactly what the other man was communicating, but could tell by the noise coming from outside that their pick-up ship arrived. With the cold still shaking them to their bones, they managed to get up and leave the generator room. 

 

"I'll be damned.. So much snow!" The cowboy widened his eyes realizing they had to push the door through half meter snow to have it at least partly open. Unlike a day ago, now everything was calm and silent, if one would make abstraction from the roaring engines of the ship nearby. There was no sun, but through the thick clouds, the light was just enough to make him squint his eyes. 

 

"After we get back I want few days off." Reyes said loud enough for McCree to hear him.

 

"Feelin' old'n rusty?" He chuckled, but got a narrow eyed stare over the shoulder from the other in response. 

 

They both waited at the entrance of the ship so all could gather. Reyes was always the last to enter, making sure his team was back together and ready for departure.

 

"Where's Garcia?" The commander stopped one of the last ones to return with a hand on the shoulder.

 

"He's just around the corner. Quick emergency before the flight." 

 

"Oh." He nodded and made everyone a sign to go inside, as he crossed his arms, shifting his weight from a foot to another while waiting for the last member of the team to join. 

 

"Come on, come on! Hurry up!" He motioned with his hand while the other nearly swimmed through the snow towards the ship. 

 

"Sorry, sir!" Garcia said as he reached his superior. He received a friendly slap against the back of his armor in return as he ran up inside the carrier. 

 

With a last glance around, Reyes turned to climb up with the rest, when a piercing sound raised above the engines he was already aware of, shortly followed by an intense stinging sensation on the right side of his torso, right beneath the armor. Only when he released the breath he did not even realize he was holding, he felt the pain crossing his entire body, weakening his already frozen knees. It all happened within seconds, and luckily, him along with the rest avoided the sudden rainfall of bullets, by going inside the ship and departing shortly after. 

 

"It's only a shot, I'll make it." He repeated jokingly to the rest of the team who gathered around him, trying to help, visibly worried. He only accepted a biotic field being placed nearby and a chat to keep his mind busy from the pain until they reached the base, where he would be taken care of.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you all enjoyed the short story! The world should have more Blackwatch times Reyes - McCree moments! Thank you for stopping by and giving this a read! :3
> 
> P.S. The guy Reyes was waiting for, Garcia, is not meant to be someone specific, just another member of the team.


End file.
